Rick Altman - Genre Theory

Genre: an agreed set of features, conventions and meanings which are understood by both producer and audience and can either be fulfilled or subverted by producers. All genres have sub-genres.

The music video for the Arctic Monkeys' song "leave before the lights come on" is considered to be conventional to its genre in a lot of ways, for example, the video itself is incredibly narrative-driven. Also, the video isn't linked to the words, the actual lyrics are more about a one night stand, whereas the video shows a woman seeminlgy on the verge of suicide is saved by a man.

Rick Altman - 1999: Genre offers audiences a set of pleasures.

Emotional pleasures, strong audience responses.

Visceral pleasures, sort of a gut reaction.

Intellectual puzzles, certain film genres offer pleasure in trying to unravel a mystery, such as detective drama etc.

My music video relates to the intellectual puzzles area because it has an 'atmosphere of mystique' about it from the antagonist being introduced. I also think it relates to the visceral pleasures as my video can be quite disturbing and makes the viewer uncomfortable.

Altman also said that pure genre itself doesn't exist anymore, that genre is progressive and that it will always change.